Tracks Across the Sand
by YellowSunshine
Summary: When the love of her life is no longer there, Hermione takes a walk on the beach and finds something she never expected... Oneshot, with possibility of more in the future.


As Hermione sat on her couch with the phone that she just put down beside her, she let what she had just been told sink in. A tear fell down her soft cheek, and Hermione buried her beautiful but sad face into her legs and let the tears fall.

Four months ago, Hermione's boyfriend of 5 years had asked her to marry him. The day after they had begun planning their wedding. It was to be on the beach with only their closest family and friends. There were to be hundreds of white and pale pink roses on the benches and surrounding the arch where they would be married. Hermione's dress was made of white satin, strapless, floor length with a chiffon cascade down the back. It had been beautiful.

Now, thinking back on everything they had planned, Hermione wonder what could have been. She still wasn't sure if she believed what she had just been told. She simply didn't want to believe that the man she was going to marry tomorrow was dead.

"I can't believe it. It can't be true," Hermione said quietly to herself through her tears. She suddenly remembered the time 5 years ago when she had said the same thing…

_____

"Hermione, honey, I have some bad news," her mother said, sitting Hermione down at the kitchen table.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, noting the tears on her mother's cheeks and knowing this was not good news.

"Your father died in a car accident an hour ago," her mother whispered.

She stared at her mother. "You're joking right?"

"I wish I was honey," her mother said, tears slowly falling down her cheek.

"No! I can't believe it! It can't be true! H-he can't be dead!" Hermione screamed as she ran out the house. She ran just past the backyard gate, turned, and disapparated.

She ended up at her best friend's house.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked as he ran off his front porch, where he had been sitting. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried.

"Ron, my dad died in a car accident," Hermione finally said when she had mostly stopped crying.

"Oh Hermione," Ron whispered, holding her closer.

They stayed like this for a long time. Finally, Ron took her hand and started walking. Hermione had no energy to refuse, so she simply let Ron lead her.

A few minutes later, Hermione realized where Ron was leading her and smiled. She let Ron lead her the rest of the way to the beach. When they reached the point where the rocks jutted out so far that there was barely any beach left, he led her up on top of the rocks and sat down. Hermione sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder. Neither of them knew how long they sat like that, or when they fell asleep, but when Hermione opened her eyes, she could see the sun rising on the horizon. The simple beauty of it caught her breath.

"Ron, Ron!" she whispered excitedly, poking him. "Look at the sun!"

"Wha?" said a groggy, half-asleep Ron, but he soon realized why she woke him up and sat in awe with her.

After a few minutes, Ron turned his head to look at Hermione. She noticed his gaze and looked at him. They sat quietly for a minute looking into each others eyes.

"I love you Hermione," Ron whispered, moving his lips closer to hers.

"I love you too, Ron," Hermione whispered, letting her lips touch his.

In that one kiss, Hermione knew that one day she would marry Ronald Weasley. She also somehow sensed that one day, he would break her heart.

They soon got up and walked along the deserted beach, kissing each other as they walked, and looking back at all their footprints getting washed up by the water. Hermione had become completely absorbed in the moment and completely forgot about what had brought them to the beach, but sadly, not for long.

_____

Hermione opened her eyes and remembered where she was.

"I need to get out of the house," she said quietly to herself, wiping away the last remaining tear. She stood up, walked to her front door, shoved a pair of old comfy flip flops on her feet and grabbed her favourite blue sweater. She picked up her keys, and locked the door behind her. She let her feet lead her, ending up where she knew she would.

As Hermione walked down the same beach she and Ron had so many years ago, she noticed something sparkling in the sand. Bending to pick it up, she noticed something behind her. She could clearly see two sets of footprints along the beach behind her. One was unmistakeably her own, and it only took her a moment to realize who the other set belonged to.

"My Ron…,"she whispered into the wind.


End file.
